The Gate of Anubis
by Cactus Bob
Summary: When Yugi defeats Atem at the Ceremonial Battle and earns him his body, everything seems to be going fine. Until an old enemy returns, ready to take his vengeance.
1. Apart of Each Other

He smiled softly to himself. He had beaten Yami… no, Atem… in the Ceremonial Battle and given him a body of his own. After all of this time, Atem could finally live the life that had been taken from him.

Atem walked up to him. "Yugi… thank you."

An intolerably bright light shone around the former Pharaoh, forcing Yugi to shield his eyes from the resurrection. When Yugi finally looked up, there was Atem, looking just as he was when they were dueling. Only now it was permanent.

Atem smiled warmly at Yugi and was about to speak when Joey, in his typical blunt attitude, burst in. "So this means ya get ta stay wit us! Dis is awesome!"

"Yeah, man, think of all the stuff we can introduce you to!" said Tristan.

"Ya got pizza, action adventure movies…" said Joey.

"Chocolate, Christmas, those cute cheerleaders at school…" Tristan broke in.

"Shut up, both of you!" scolded Tea, exasperated.

Atem chuckled. "It's alright. I'm looking forward to experiencing more things in this modern era."

"So Atem, are you ready for your next adventure?" Yugi asked.

Atem looked at everyone around him. Yugi and the rest of the gang, the Ishtars, Duke, Grandpa, Bakura, and the Kaibas… they had all become his friends. And even though this world was foreign to him, he knew that all of friends would be right behind him.

"Let's go home."

* * *

Yugi lay on the deck on their boat to the airport. He was alone; everyone else was asleep.

He gazed at the brightly twinkling Egyptian stars. "I wonder what's going to happen now?" he asked himself. "All this time, we've all been searching for Atem's memory. Now that we've found it, what will we do? Live a normal life?"

Yugi sighed, and he wasn't sure if it was from exasperation or relief. "After everything I've seen, can I live a normal life?"

He chuckled. "At least my grades will go back up. Thank goodness it's summer vacation…"

More moments passed, and Yugi nearly dozed off as he reclined peacefully on the smooth wood. It was very warm, so sleeping outside would have been comfortable.

"I wonder if Atem will like school…" he mused, before his thoughts were interrupted.

"Yugi?" Tea asked, walking up beside him. She was clad in soft pink shorts and a tank top. "What are you doing up?"

Yugi sat up to look at her. "Just thinking…"

"Trying to get used to alone time?" she asked. Of course, she was right. The silence, the emptiness in his head, was disconcerting.

He nodded. "I'll get used to it eventually."

"Just like you got used to a person in your mind all the time?" she asked. Again, she was right. He had felt uncomfortably exposed after he knew that Atem was sharing his body. For the first few months, anyway.

"It's strange. Everything has changed so much since last year."

"I know. Just look at you, Yugi. You're taller, you're more mature, you're a better duelist, and…" her voice trailed off. "You're sixteen now."

He smiled. "Yeah... and you'll be sixteen in just a few months now."

"Don't get all smug because you're three months older, Yugi!" she said defensively. "We all know I could kick your butt in a fight."

He giggled. Tea had always made him laugh, ever since they had met in 2nd grade.

"I wonder what Atem would say if he saw you out here." Tea said, sitting down behind her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"Come on, Yugi. It's your first night apart and you're out here _thinking._"

"I _was_ thinking."

"That's not what I meant." she said seriously. "You and Atem are separate now. You have to be careful not to grow apart."

He didn't respond. She went on. "You can be an extreme introvert sometimes. But Atem isn't going to be there in your head to hear all of your thoughts. You're going to have to share them if you want to stay as close as you are."

He nodded. She was right again; this was like a record for one conversation.

"No secrets?" she asked.

"No secrets."

She nodded, smiling. "Did you want to sleep out here or are you going back to bed?"

"It's too hot for covers!" He moaned, throwing an arm over his eyes.

She laughed. "Then I'll see you tomorrow. Are you going to tell Atem what you were thinking about tonight when he finds you here in the morning?"

"Yes, ma'am."


	2. Living Conditions

Hello! Thank you all for your constructive criticism!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

* * *

"Well, here we are. Home sweet home." Yugi said cheerfully, as he set down his suitcase. "We just need to get you all set up and…" Yugi paused.

"What's up?" Tristan asked.

"It's just that… Atem doesn't have any of the day-to-day stuff." Yugi answered. "No clothes, no bed, no birth certificate…"

"Have no fear, Yug'. Tristan and I can help you with da sleepin' arrangements." said Joey.

"And Atem and I can go shopping and get Kaiba to help with the papers." Tea chimed in.

"Well, guys, I guess you have your orders." Yugi said, going upstairs to unpack.

Atem suddenly found himself being dragged off by Tea. "Where are we going?" he asked, somewhat confused.

"We're going to the mall, silly."

* * *

_Kame Game Shop, 1:18 pm_

Yugi, Joey, and Tristan stared pensively at an empty space in Yugi's bedroom.

"Yug'?" Joey asked.

"Yeah, Joey?" Yugi responded absently.

"What is it we're tryin' to do here?"

"We're trying to get another bed." Yugi explained.

Tristan was confused. "But Yugi, you guys don't have another bed."

"I know."

"So basically, you're sayin' we're tryin' to make a bed out o' nothin'?" Joey stated incredulously.

"Exactly."

There was silence.

"How are we supposed to do dat?" Joey asked.

Yugi was exasperated. "I don't know."

Joey paused. "So what's our next course o' action?"

Yugi growled. "I don't know!"

* * *

_Domino City Mall, 1:18 pm_

"Uhh, Tea…" Atem said, buried beneath a growing pile of clothes.

"What is it, Atem?" Tea asked quietly as she threw more clothes on top of the pile that Atem held.

"Don't you think we have enough clothes?" he asked, his face now becoming hidden.

"Hmm…" Tea said, looking over the clothes they had already gotten. "I don't know." she said finally, turning back to the clothes rack.

Atem quickly made up an excuse to get out of that department. "Well, maybe we should focus on some of the other things I might need. We could always come back later."

Tea considered it. "… Alright."

* * *

_Kame Game Shop, 1:37 pm_

"Dude, it's a good thing that Atem's a brave guy." Tristan said as he helped Yugi and Joey drag up a spring mattress. "I don't think I'D sleep on that thing if I knew how long it had been in your guys' basement."

"He doesn't… _have_ to know." Yugi said, panting slightly.

"Yug'!" Joey exclaimed at Yugi's odd behavior.

"What have we done to you, man?"

* * *

_Kaiba Corp., 1:37 pm_

Kaiba sat at his desk and pressed his fingers together. "Well, I suppose I do owe you geeks a favor." he said painfully. He glared at them. "And I hate owing people favors. I'll get you what you need."

"We appreciate it, Kaiba." Tea said, nodding appreciatively.

"Swell. Now get out of my office." he said shortly, going back to his laptop to go over some important stock figures.

Atem and Tea walked out of the building and picked up the bags of various items they had placed temporarily at the entrance. Tea was obviously thinking about something. "… You know, I don't think we got enough clothes…"

* * *

_Kame Game Shop, 3:15 pm_

Atem and Tea returned from shopping with an immense number of bags in hand.

"I think that went very well, don't you?" Tea chirped happily.

Before Atem could respond, he overheard an argument that seemed to be talking place upstairs.

"But isn't it traditional to give someone somethin' when dey move in?" Joey asked.

"Yes, but the point is to give them something that isn't already theirs!" Yugi retorted angrily, his voice rising in frustration.

Atem walked into Yugi's bedroom. "Our bedroom." he reminded himself mentally. That was going to take some getting used to.

"What is going on here?" he asked.

"Umm… nothin'." Joey said, trying in vain to hide a desk lamp behind his back.

Yugi held his hand to his forehead, mumbling something like "I'm surrounded by idiots."

Tristan, sitting on one of the now two beds in the room, hastily changed the subject. "So did you guys find everything?"

Atem nodded cheerfully. "Yes, we did. Much more than I need, in fact…" Atem said, glancing toward Tea.

"Hey! I was just trying to be prepared, you know!" Tea said.

"Guys, hold up! What happened to the pizza and action adventure movies we promised Atem?" Tristan said, trying to avoid another argument.

"Doesn't it seem like our whole life is an action adventure movie?" Yugi asked.

"Yeah, but since the Millennium Items have been put to rest, things should get back to normal, right?" Tea said.

Atem wondered. Would there be any more adventures for him? "… Right." he said. Things were going to be fine.

* * *

_Kul Elna Ruins, 3:15 pm_

He pulled himself out of the sand, shaking himself like a dog. "First things first." He thought to himself. "I need to get to Domino."

Bakura stood, laughing manically. "I will have my revenge… and I know just how to do it."


	3. Best Served Cold

Hey guys. Thanks for sticking with me even though my last chapters were too short. I tried to make this one longer.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

* * *

Atem slowly opened his eyes, revealing soft, golden sunlight that was filtered by Yugi's curtains. He sat up and looked over at Yugi's bed. He was gone.

"That's strange," Atem thought. "I didn't think Yugi even knew that a Saturday morning existed."

He got out of bed and picked out some clothes out of the enormous amount that Tea had bought for him. "She does like to shop." He thought, grinning.

Atem walked into the kitchen, stumbling upon Yugi… quite literally. Yugi was lying on his stomach, humming to himself and fumbling under the stove. Atem almost stepped on him, and nearly fell over as he tried to avoid him.

"What on Earth are you doing down there?" Atem asked, regaining his bearings.

"Dropped a chocolate chip." Yugi replied, giggling.

"So why are you up so early? It's only 9:30, and you're usually not up until after noon during the summer." Atem said.

"Well, I figured that since it's your first REAL day here, you should enjoy some of the finer things in life." Yugi said. "Like breakfast."

Atem chuckled. "I was unaware that breakfast was such a valuable commodity."

"That just proves how much you have to learn." Yugi replied, winking at him.

As Yugi bustled around the kitchen, pulling out sugar-filled ingredients, the phone began to ring.

Yugi, obviously having eaten some of those ingredients beforehand, practically bounced over to the phone.

"Mutou residence. Oh, hi Tea. Don't see why not. He'll probably be glad to see you. Mm-hmm. Sure, but I should probably make more food if they're gonna come too. OK. Bye." Yugi hung up the phone.

"The gang's coming over?" Atem asked, hypothesizing from the bits of conversation he had heard.

"Yeah. More food for everyone!" Yugi said, bouncing up and down.

Atem sighed. "I was hoping… that maybe we could have a day that was just… you and me."

Yugi stopped bouncing and looked toward the ground. "I'm sorry…" he said softly.

Atem was surprised. Yugi was taking what he said much harder than he'd imagined. "You don't have to worry, Yugi."

Yugi shook his head. "No, it's my fault. I never even gave you an opportunity to tell me how you felt."

Atem smiled and tried to get Yugi to cheer up. "We'll reschedule. Tomorrow?"

Yugi looked up at him, his eyes clouded with thoughts. But he grinned and nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Joey, Tristan, and Tea, arrived. Atem greeted them at the door. "Hello. It's good to see you." He said.

Joey ignored him, leaning forward and sniffing the air. "Chocolate… flour… and peanut butter! AWESOME!" Joey exclaimed, and dashed for the kitchen.

"Peanut butter?! Back off, dude!" Tristan yelled, and ran after Joey.

Tea laughed at their antics. "So where's Yugi?"

"Still in the kitchen, cooking. He seems really energetic today." Atem replied.

"Has he been drinking coffee again? I thought we talked about this…" She said, holding her forehead.

"Hey guys!" said Yugi, skipping down the hall, singing happily.

"Morning, Yugi. Hey, didn't you say you were going to the store?" Tea asked.

"Yeah. We ran out of peanut butter." He said. A pain-filled shriek was heard from the kitchen. Obviously, Joey already knew that.

"Well you should hurry up and go get it." Tea said. "Before Joey and Tristan try to eat us instead."

"You bet! Bye!" Yugi said, grabbing his coat.

"We've been apart for one day and you're already doing things without me, Yugi?" Atem asked jokingly.

The words hit Yugi. That's what Tea had been talking about earlier. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon." Yugi said, and hurried out the front door.

* * *

"Step one finished. Now on to step two." Bakura thought. "And everything is working out perfectly."

Yugi walked quickly into the grocery store, trying to find the extra-crunchy peanut butter.

"That brat got in my way before… and now he'll be the key to my success." Bakura waited until Yugi left the store, and followed him until he reached a less crowded area.

"That's strange." Yugi thought to himself. "I have this weird feeling like someone's following me…"

"All alone, it seems…" An all too familiar voice echoed.

"Who's there?" Yugi asked, spinning around.

"But Yugi, don't you remember me?" the voice asked mockingly.

"Wait…" Yugi thought. "Bakura?!"

And then there was nothing but darkness.

* * *

Yugi's eyes opened, although it didn't seem like it. Everything around him was shrouded in darkness.

"What…?" He mumbled. He felt exhausted and dizzy. He tried to stand up, but couldn't. Chains bound his wrists and feet to an invisible wall.

"Hey!" He yelled, regaining some of his strength. "Bakura! You did this!" Triumphant laughter filled the dark abyss.

"How perceptive." Bakura said, materializing in front of him. He was the only thing that could be seen, and was illuminated by an unearthly, pale blue light that seemed to come from Bakura himself.

"Why are you doing this?! How did you get here?!" Yugi asked. Bakura began to laugh again.

"So many questions, Yugi." Bakura said. But something was very wrong. Bakura's eyes began to glow an ominous icy blue. "You shouldn't worry about that." He said in an eerie, but enticing, voice. "You shouldn't worry about anything."

"I shouldn't… worry about anything." Yugi repeated softly.

"Just do as I say." Bakura said in that strange, powerful voice.

"Do as you say." Yugi said, as his eyes began to change to that icy blue color.

"You're going to help me, Yugi. Just trust me." Bakura said, grinning evilly. Yugi stood, the chains that bound him disappearing.

"Yes, Master."


	4. Split

Wow, 1300 words! It's a record!

Disclaimer: Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! and don't want to.

I thought Egypt was hot BEFORE I saw Pharaoh Atem.

* * *

"Where is he? It's been hours…" Atem thought. The others had already left after eating and talking for a while. "Yugi said he'd be back soon… I hope something hasn't happened to him…" Panic seeped into his emotions. What if something **had** happened to Yugi? Was he alright? What could he do, if anything?

Only two days into their separation, and Atem had let Yugi slip through his fingers. He berated himself. "I'm so foolish…"

As Atem worried, he heard someone enter the front door. Soft, padding footsteps approached the kitchen. Atem rushed out, finding Yugi walking slowly to his bedroom.

"Yugi, where have you been all this time?!" Atem asked frantically.

Yugi stopped, his bangs covering his face. Suddenly, he spun around. "Foolish king of those who are dead! Do you want to join your subjects that badly?!" Yugi yelled at him, his voice full of disdain.

"What?" Atem asked, shocked at Yugi's reaction.

"What?" Yugi asked innocently. How could he go from psychotic to normal, innocent Yugi within seconds?

"What you said to me… I…"

"And you deserved every word of it!" Yugi spat in that odd, wrathful voice he had used just moment before. "The dust of their bones is messy, isn't it? The blood of their hearts stank as it dyed the sand black!"

This wasn't Yugi. It couldn't be. "What are you saying?" Atem asked, backing up into the wall.

"I'm saying," Yugi said cheerfully, "That we should talk more about your past. I hardly know anything about your life back in Egypt."

It was unfathomable. Yugi, staring at him with icy blue eyes, was switching back and forth between personalities at record speeds.

"Yugi…" Atem asked tentatively, "Are you alright?"

"What do you mean?" Yugi asked, with a cute, confused look on his face. "I'm fine."

"… You're sure?" Atem asked. How was he going to tell Yugi about what just happened?

Yugi paused and looked down the hallway. His gaze flipped back to Atem, and he sneered. "We have work to do." Yugi said coldly.

Then in an instant, Yugi grabbed Atem at the collar and physically threw him into the opposite wall. But when Atem opened his eyes, he was not still in the hallway.

* * *

Atem found himself in a gargantuan cavern. There was a large, strange seal on the floor, and the sounds of human screams filled his ears. Something dripped on his hand… it was thick and red… like blood. When Atem looked up, he saw Yugi was peering at him, studying him.

"Yugi…" Atem said faintly. "Where are we?"

Wherever he was, it was a horrible place. The blood had come from the ceiling, or more specifically, the person _on_ the ceiling. As though gravity did not apply to him, the poor man lay on the ceiling with his intestines replaced by a few blood-stained human skulls.

Yugi laughed hysterically, glancing at the man on the ceiling as well. "This… _my king_… is Pandaemonium." He said darkly, a frightful smile on his face.

"What?!" Atem exclaimed. Pandaemonium was the terror-inspiring capital of the Shadow Realm… how had he gotten here?

"We brought you here." Yugi said, seeming to read his thoughts.

"That's not Yugi…" Atem thought again. "Where is my partner?"

"We?" He asked aloud, catching on. Yugi… whoever it was… laughed once again.

"We are legal residents here." Yugi said, grinning.

"What do you want with me? Leave Yugi out of this!" Atem yelled.

"You don't understand, filth." Yugi said, his blue eyes narrowing dangerously. "We don't care who we hurt, who we kill. We want to be free. And we follow the orders of he who would help us."

Atem noticed two distinct personalities in within Yugi. One was almost playful, and acted disturbingly cheery. The other was nothing but wrath, and constant spat at Atem with disgust.

"And who is that?" Atem asked.

"I'm sure you'll see him soon. Until then…" Yugi's eyes flashed menacingly. "Let's play a game."

Atem stood. "What game would that be?" He asked.

Yugi giggled, smiling brightly. The other personality had taken over. "It's simple, OK? Here's the deal: You try and kill me, I try and kill you. I win, game over."

"What makes you so sure you'll win?" Atem said defiantly.

"That's simple too. You see, if you win, Yugi will die, and you'll be all alone." Yugi said.

Atem was stunned as he realized the truth that this… imposter had spoken. How could he fight if Yugi could get hurt? But he couldn't let Yugi go on like that… he had to try.

"So how do you play this game?" Atem asked.

"Oh, you're interested are you? And I thought our master was murderous…" Yugi said softly.

"Shut up!" Atem yelled back.

Yugi sneered at him, his wrathful side showing himself. "Idiot Pharaoh… I'll explain. We'll be using our spirit's energy to summon Duel Monsters. Familiar, isn't it?"

"Go on." Atem said, struggling to control his hate.

"Then we'll be using those monsters to attack each other. We'll have full use of magic and trap cards as well." Yugi said, disdain obvious in his attitude.

"Very well, then." Atem said reluctantly. "Let's duel!"

Yugi lifted up his hand and his icy eyes began to glow. Suddenly a duel disk appeared on his arm. "I summon Curse of Dragon!" he yelled, throwing a card out onto the field.

Atem found a duel disk and a deck on his arm as well. "I summon Dark Magician Girl!" he said, copying Yugi. "Then I use the magic card Book of Secret Arts, increasing her attack power."

"It seems you're off to a good start." Yugi said, laughing.

Atem's eyes narrowed. "Dark Magician Girl, attack his Curse of Dragon!" When Curse of Dragon was destroyed, Yugi doubled over, clutching his stomach. Then he stood up, laughing and clapping his hands.

"Well done, Pharaoh. But that won't last for long. I use the magic card Brain Control!"

"No!" Atem exclaimed.

"Vermin. Dark Magician Girl, attack Atem directly!" Atem screamed in pain and fell to his knees. It felt like his entire body was on fire. He struggled to stand up.

"Yes. Get up. Get up and fall back down." Yugi said softly, looking at Atem as though he were a child.

Atem glared at him. "Now Dark Magician Girl returns to my control!" he said, breathing heavily. "And I summon Celtic Guardian!"

"You make waste as much as you are a waste." Yugi said. "I use Swords of Revealing Light! Now your energy shall be lost on useless monsters." Yugi was right. Atem felt his energy being sapped with each passing moment. "Now I summon Gandora Dragon of Destruction! Its special ability destroys all of your monsters."

Dark Magician Girl and Celtic Guardian were gone. Atem collapsed out of exhaustion and despair. Even if he did win, Yugi would be lost.

"Stop it…" Yugi said suddenly, clutching his forehead. "No… no… I don't want to go back…" he said, bending over in pain.

"Yugi…" Atem said, concerned despite himself.

"Get out! Get out! You don't belong here!" Yugi yelled, and shrieked an otherworldly scream, falling to the ground.

"Yugi!" Atem said, running over to his partner's side. "Are you alright?!"

Yugi looked up at him, his eyes back to their normal color. "I don't have much time…" he said softly.

"It's really you?! My Yugi…?" Atem said.

Yugi stood up shakily. "I summon Dark Spear." He said faintly.

"Yugi, what are you doing?" Atem asked, worried.

Yugi grabbed the spear that had appeared. "I'm sorry." Yugi said softly, and drove the spear through his own chest.

"Yugi, no!" Atem yelled, catching Yugi's small form as he fell to the ground.

"It was Bakura…" Yugi said, smiling as blood trickled from his mouth. "He wants to open the door… between all the worlds…"

"Yugi, no…" Atem choked, tears streaming down his face.

"Every world would make war with every other… and he would rule the survivors… he wanted us to kill you… your blood… opens it…" Yugi said, his eyes drooping.

"You can't… I can't do this without you…" Atem said.

"Don't worry… I believe in you… besides… it'll be nice… to see my mom… again…" And Yugi closed his eyes, and breathed his last.

"Yugi… partner…" Atem sobbed, tears flowing freely and shoulders convulsing. How could he let something like this happen? How could he be so careless? How could this occur only two days after he and Yugi were split? He had to stop Bakura… for Yugi's sake.

"Bakura will pay."


	5. Abandon All Hope

I'm sorry I killed Yugi, readers. I mean, he's my favorite character, the cute little guy. But he's such an easy target…

* * *

Atem kneeled beside his partner's body, sobbing and shaking with sorrow and rage. Bakura's suffering would be eternal for all the pain he had caused. For everyone he had hurt, everyone he had killed… For Yugi. 

"Now is not the time for tears." He said mentally. "Now is the time for revenge." He pushed all sorrow, all fear, and all inhibitions from his heart. He could wallow in despair later. Right now, he had work to do.

Atem stood and walked slowly over to one of the writhing and bleeding spirits in the cavernous courtyard. Atem grabbed the spirit by the neck and held him close.

"Where is Bakura?" Atem asked, his voice reflecting his merciless fury.

The deformed spirit giggled hysterically. His tongue had been split in two, and was bleeding through his teeth. "Down, down, down you must go. Farther than any man should know."

"Down? How can I get there?"

"Go through the doors which all men fear. Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."

Atem assumed that the spirit meant the large stone doors near the end of the stairway. They dripped with blood, inscribing the words "no escape" on them in shining, wet crimson. There was no choice. Atem walked up to the doors, which opened with the creak of stone, sensing his desires. Then he descended, deep into the depths from which only one man had risen.

* * *

Atem walked. The path before him, paved with human bones, stretched on endlessly. He passed tortured, once-human souls, begging him for help as he continued to walk. He passed fire and water and blood. He passed creatures he had never seen before. He passed forests of twisted and dying trees. Down stairs, across canyons, over peaks, he continued on forward. He paid it no attention, though. His mind was set on one thing – revenge. Everything else passed like a ghost before his eyes. 

Suddenly, he reached another door.

"This is it… I can sense it." Atem thought to himself. "This is where I'll find him."

As he prepared himself for whatever lay beyond, a shimmering figure appeared in front of the gate. The light faded, and Atem found himself face to face with…. Himself. The other him smiled knowingly.

"Why have you come here?" The doppelganger asked.

"Don't you know? Aren't you me?" Atem asked, somewhat annoyed.

"I want to hear you say it."

"I'm here for Bakura."

"And what are you going to do once you've found him?"

"I'm going to hurt him. As much as he's hurt everyone else."

"Don't you mean as much as he's hurt you?"

Atem eyes narrowed. He was losing patience. "It's not just about me."

The other Atem laughed. "Isn't it? If it was going to be about anyone else, it would be about Yugi, wouldn't it?"

Atem merely glared at him.

"Can you possibly understand?" The other Atem asked. "Bringing Bakura pain isn't going to save Yugi."

"What are you trying to do?!" Atem yelled furiously. "Why are you here?! If anything, I would assume you'd be glad to see me risk my soul for nothing!"

"Pride is your sin." The other Atem said softly. "You can't save anyone."

"Get out of my way." Atem growled, clenching his fists in anger.

The imposter smiled. "I hope you know what you're doing." Then he disappeared, leaving the way to the door clear.

"Is he right?" Atem thought to himself. "Should I turn back? Is it all for nothing?" He had come this far, gotten this close. It couldn't be hopeless… it couldn't be. Steeling himself, he opened the door, and prepared for what would lie ahead.

* * *

It was dark. Atem knew that much, but not much else. Small, glowing lights floated about, giving a small amount of light to his surroundings. 

"So… you've come to get your revenge, have you?" A mocking, accented voice said. A voice Atem knew all too well.

"Bakura!" Atem yelled into the void. "You will pay for what you've done! What you've done to Yugi!"

A cold, blue light appeared and grew in strength, until it illuminated everything in the room. Bakura stood in the room's center upon a seal engraved in the stone floor.

"Before you kill me… I want to ask you something." Bakura said softly.

"Why should I? Why should I even give you the right?!" Atem yelled at him.

"It will be worth your time." Bakura said. He wasn't acting like himself. The mocking, laughing attitude had softened, leaving a quieter, calmer Bakura in its place. The torture of his resting place had changed him.

Atem paused. "Be quick about it." He said angrily.

"If you had the chance… would you sacrifice yourself to save Yugi?"

"Without hesitation." Atem replied honestly.

"Yugi told you what would happen, didn't he? That if you spilt your blood here, upon the Gate of Anubis, all of the worlds would destroy each other?" Bakura asked, seemingly amused. "The question is, would you make that choice... would you exchange your soul for Yugi's, knowing what would happen?"

Atem was shocked. "What are you saying?" He asked.

Bakura shook his head, smiling. "You could save your Yugi."

"Do you mean that it's possible? That he could…" Atem choked on his words.

"Of course."

Atem couldn't believe what he was hearing. He could save Yugi… he could atone for his sins… he could undo what he had done to Yugi. But at the cost of all those lives? "It's my fault that Yugi is dead…" Atem thought. "It's my duty… I owe it to Yugi to pay for what I let happen. "

"… I will sacrifice myself… for Yugi." Atem said softly.

Bakura smiled darkly. "It's good to see that you finally understand that the good guys don't always win." Reaching out his hand, Bakura summoned the Dark Spear. The same Dark Spear that Yugi had used to take his own life.

"Stand on the Gate," Bakura instructed, tossing the spear to Atem. "And drive the spear through your heart. I want to see you bleed."

Atem caught the spear and slowly walked to the center of the seal. He held the spear to his chest.

"For you, Yugi."

* * *

"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here" comes from Dante's Inferno. I didn't come up with that myself, unfortunately. 


	6. The Future is Today

Ahhh… the final –real- chapter. They'll be an epilogue. Guys, fans, flamers… actually I haven't gotten any flamers but that's good… you've all been great. I appreciate everything you've said. You've helped me to improve my skills, by however small a margin.

Love,

Cactus Bob

* * *

It was bright. Warm… and bright. He opened his eyes and saw a sunny, white, completely empty room. He felt strange… sort of numb… like he was out of his body.

"Hello?" He called out, his voice echoing.

There was no response. "Where am I?" Atem thought, looking around.

"You're early." Said a voice out of the clean, white room.

"Who's there?" Atem asked, searching for the source of the voice.

"Or you're late. I guess it depends on how you look at it."

"What do you mean?"

"I think you know."

There was silence.

"He's not here, you know." The voice said. It sounded like it was smiling.

"He's… he's not?" Atem asked. Yugi was safe?

"No. And for the record, you shouldn't be here either."

"I gave my soul for his, what do you mean I shouldn't be here?"

The voice laughed. "They're waiting for you."

Atem heard mumbled voices.

"It makes sense now." One voice said.

"I hope he's alright." Said another.

"Who are they?" Atem asked, confused.

"You already know. Get ready." Suddenly the room became even brighter, brighter than Atem could stand. He shielded his eyes, and then…

"Hey guys! He's waking up!" Said a cheerful and familiar voice.

"Dude, are you okay?"

"Atem, man, speak to us."

Atem slowly opened his eyes. He was in Yugi's room… The sunlight shone merrily through the curtains as a soft summer breeze tossed them about. All of his friends sat on chairs around him, looking concerned.

"How… how did I get here?" Atem mumbled, sitting up on his bed.

Yugi fidgeted, and Joey looked uncomfortable.

"Man, I'm not even gonna try to explain dat one." Joey said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well…" Yugi said uncertainly. "We did some research on the Gate of Anubis. The whole thing is rather complicated."

"Tell me about it." Said Tristan. Tea remained silent.

"Why is the world not… over?" Atem asked. Weren't all the worlds supposed to destroying each other?

"It said that the Gate needed someone to spill the blood of the chosen king. Probably, you spilling your own blood had the reverse effect." Yugi said.

"What do you mean?" Asked Atem. It seemed he had been asking that a lot lately.

"Bakura must have made an oath with the Gate. That he could go to Earth, but only to kill you." Yugi said, blushing when he spoke about Atem being killed. "You see, it's like the Gate was half-open. Bakura killing you would have opened it, but you sacrificing yourself closed it. Bakura must not have understood that."

"But… I traded my soul for yours, Yugi." Atem said. "Even if the world didn't end, why are we both here?"

Yugi looked down. "I can't believe you would do something like that for me." He said softly.

"Of course I would." Atem stated plainly. "You're my partner, remember? You did the same for me."

Yugi turned scarlet. "Exchange." He said, hastily changing the subject. "I guess, somebody decided that you gave enough already."

Silence filled the room.

"So… um…" Joey mumbled. "It don't look like Bakura's comin' back anymore."

Atem laughed and leaned back on his bed's headboard. "That makes me very happy."

"Same here." Yugi said, sighing.

"Well, umm," Tea said, surreptitiously nudging Joey and Tristan toward the door. "You two probably want some time to yourselves, considering how much you've been through lately." She chuckled nervously. Her voice sounded sort of strangled. "Okay bye!" She said, and quickly ushered herself and the others outside.

"What's wrong with her?" Atem asked Yugi.

"It's just… she was pretty upset earlier." Yugi said. "I think… I think she was really worried about you. We all were, but…" Yugi looked down, playing with his fingers in his lap. "She probably just wanted to give us some space, though."

"Yes… yes, of course."

Silence.

"Atem?" Yugi asked, looking up.

"Yes, Yugi?" Atem was concerned. Yugi didn't usually act this reserved around him.

"Are you…" Yugi stopped. "Are you going to be okay?"

Atem was surprised. "Yes… I don't see why not." He paused. "Are you going to be okay? You're acting strangely."

"Yeah, it's just…" Yugi stopped, rubbing his nose and looking out the window.

"What?"

Tears began to form in Yugi's eyes. "I thought I lost you." He said, so softly Atem almost didn't hear. Atem leaned forward, putting his hand on Yugi's shoulder.

"I thought I lost you too, partner." Atem said. "I didn't know what to do. I felt so alone… and all I could think about was revenge. I'm supposed to protect you." Atem felt his eyes sting and his throat close up. "And I failed." He said, choking on the tears he was struggling to control.

Yugi looked into Atem's eyes and immediately knew what he was feeling. "It's okay." Yugi said, smiling through the tears that fell down his cheeks and neck, staining his shirt.

"It's okay with me too." Atem said.

Yugi got out of his chair and climbed up onto Atem, wrapping his arms around Atem's waist. They sat there, crying for relief and embracing each other. They sat there for a long time.

"Atem?" Yugi asked softly.

"What is it, Yugi?"

He sighed sadly. "I'm sorry I've kept to myself for the past few days."

"You're hardly to be blamed, Yugi. You were possessed."

"No, before that…" he mumbled. "Ever since we were separated, I've been keeping my own company. It's so different now that we're apart…"

"I know it's hard, Yugi. But we'll work through it." Atem said. You could tell that he believed what he said.

Yugi nodded and lay back down on Atem stomach. They stayed for another thirty minutes or so, until Atem spoke up.

"Yugi?" Atem asked.

"Yeah?"

"Did you… ever get to see your mother?"

Yugi turned to look at Atem and smiled.

"She says hi."

* * *

And that's what happened, basically.

7/12/06

Dear Diary,

The gang came back over. While Tea and Atem were fighting each other in Soul Calibur, she burst into tears and started to hug Atem so hard that he couldn't breathe. It turns out she was trying to be strong for the group, but she ended up exploding emotionally.

7/16/06

Dear Diary,

This one jerk tried to steal my deck while I was on my way to Joey's house. I nearly broke his nose. Punching him hurt more than I expected… but **no one** touches **my** deck.

9/5/06

Dear Diary,

Atem went to school for the first time today. I was a little worried about what would happen, but he ended up excelling in chemistry beyond anyone else in the class. It makes sense, considering how many science textbooks he read during the summer.

"_Atem?"_

"_Yes Yugi?"_

"_What are you doing?"_

"_I'm reading."_

"_But you're reading my chemistry book."_

"_Yes?"_

"_It's summer."_

"_Yes?"_

"_Why are you learning in summer?"_

"_Is… is that wrong? I find it interesting."_

"…_I find you interesting, Atem."_

10/13/06

Dear Diary,

Tea just told me she admitted her undying love to Atem, and they're starting to date. I was a little disappointed… but I guess I should be happy for them.

"_Hey Yugi?"_

"_What is it, Tea?"_

"_I have some great news, or at least I think I do."_

"_What do you mean, 'You think you do'?"_

"_It all depends on how you look at it, I suppose."_

"_Just say it."_

"_Atem and I… we're involved."_

"…_That's great."_

"_You don't sound so excited."_

"… _We're all friends, right Tea?"_

"_Of course."_

"_Then… that's great."_

10/27/06

I started playing the piano again. Mom taught we when I was little, but I didn't think Grandpa had a piano. I was wrong. I recently found one in our basement while I was doing some fall cleaning.

"_What are you doing?"_

"_Ah! Heh, Atem, you scared me."_

"_That music… was that you?"_

"_Umm…yeah… It's just something I wrote a little while back."_

"_It's beautiful."_

"_Thanks…actually, I wrote it about you."_

"_About me?"_

"_Yeah."_

"…_I'm honored."_

11/24/06

Tristan and Serenity are going out, apparently. She came over to visit Joey for Thanksgiving (It turns out he's a really good cook. He's eaten a lot.), and Tristan took that opportunity to ask her out.

"_Hey… Serenity?"_

"_What is it, Tristan?"_

"_I've been thinking about this for a long time… Serenity… I think you are the most beautiful woman in the world! Please! Do me the honor of coming with me to see a matinee of Casino Royale!"_

"_Wow… Tristan… that's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me! Of course I'll go!"_

"_Wait a minute… Tristan, just what da heck are you doin' wit my sister?"_

"_Joey, it's fine. Tristan is a great person and he's your best friend. Why wouldn't you want us to be together?"_

"_Alright, you two, but let me just say one thing, Tristan. If you **ever**, hurt my baby sister, I will hunt you down and rip da skin off your face. 'Kay?"_

"_Heheh, sure Joey, perfectly clear."_

12/2/06

Joey entered another dueling tournament that Kaiba hosted. Joey was so happy… he actually beat Kaiba in a duel! I'm so proud of him… he's really come far.

"_Alright! Now Red-Eyes, attack Kaiba's life points directly!"_

"_This… this can't be possible. The mutt actually beat me…"_

"_Dat's right, Kaiba. 'Da mutt' actually beat ya in a duel. I ain't beneath you anymore, moneybags! So no more o' dat 'mutt', or 'amateur', or whatever."_

"_You just got lucky, that's all. I'm still the better duelist."_

Yeah… Kaiba wasn't so happy, though.

"Yugi?"

"Yeah, Atem?"

"What are you doing?"

"I'm just writing in my journal, that's all." Yugi said cheerfully, closing his diary and rolling over to put it away.

Atem chuckled. "I suppose that after all we've been through, you have a lot to say, huh?"

"Yeah." Yugi said pensively. "We've had a lot of adventures, haven't we?"

"Yes, but…" Atem chuckled. "It seems we'll always have another one." Atem said, lying on his bed, gazing up at the ceiling.

"So Atem… are you ready for your next adventure?"


	7. Epilogue Before the Dawn

Hey readers. This is supposed to be the song Yugi wrote for Atem in the previous chapter. Thought it would be a sweet epilogue.

Thanks to journey maker, constructive criticism, Yami Amaya, Bakura-5000, Psycho Kage Suma, cheeky-eyes, and Number0 for reviewing.

Super special awesome thanks to Isis the Sphinx, for giving well-rounded reviews for every one of my chapters!

Thanks to Adsica, Arion Girl, Bakura-5000, Princess Yunariana, and Yami Amaya for favoriting me. It means a lot.

Extra-special thanks to Bakura-5000 for putting me on your favorite authors list, even though I've only written one story!

And thanks to the 352 people who have at least read the first chapter.

* * *

How could I tell you

What you mean to me

How could I show you

Could I make you see?

-

The great sacrifice

Is easy to make

I'd do anything

For my brother's sake

-

Give me your hand

I'll show you the way

I'll lead you to Heaven

On your darkest day

-

Though hours may come

When your hope is all gone

Remember it's darkest

Before the bright dawn

-

Follow me, brother

On this endless road

I'll share all your burdens

I'll carry your load

-

I'll be there, beside you

In darkness or light

I'll be right behind you

In revel or plight

-

Oh, angel, my angel

Shield me with your wings

Your deep voice more soothing

Than song siren sings

-

The hour may come

When your hope is all gone

But remember it's darkest

Before the bright dawn

-

I'll love you in darkness

Until the bright dawn

* * *

And that's it! Hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

Here's a preview of the next story! It's called "Otherworld".

_He knew that smell… bleach, mold, and dried blood. He had hoped to never smell it again._

_He sat up on his dirty white bed. The walls, once a beige color, were now shades of brown and green. The floor had reddish-brown stains on it. There was a single barred window to his left, allowing the moonlight to illuminate the soiled room._

"_Where am I?" He thought blearily. His mind felt fuzzy, his thoughts were confused. Unpleasant images swirled in front of him. He looked at his hands… and then at his wrists. They were bandaged and blood-stained. _

_A creak signified the opening of the cell door._

"_It's time for your medicine, Yugi."_


End file.
